International talks in Vienna regarding the revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement will resume today, Monday, after months of suspension, according to a diplomatic source. The United States will send a delegation led by its special envoy to Iran, Rob Malley, to participate indirectly in the negotiations. The parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action will meet again in Vienna after nearly six months to discuss the mutual return to the deal by both the United States and Iran, but the gap has allowed for new obstacles to take root.
Iranian media quoted Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs and lead negotiator in Vienna, Ali Bagheri Kani, as saying: "We have made our choice, and the West must pay the price for not fulfilling its commitments under the nuclear agreement." Bagheri Kani also stated that Iran "is not subject to military threats or sanctions... past mistakes should not be repeated," announcing his country's readiness for dialogue "based on obtaining guarantees and verifying the commitments of the other party."
He added: "The primary goal of the negotiations in Vienna is to lift all sanctions. The second goal is to facilitate the rights of the Iranian people to benefit from nuclear science." Bagheri Kani pointed out that "the West is not seeking to reach an agreement, but wants to obtain concessions from Iran," asserting that the West must compensate for "any breach of obligations in the nuclear agreement."
Additionally, the Russian representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, reported on Sunday that informal consultations were held between his country, China, and Iran in preparation for the official resumption of the Vienna nuclear talks. Ulyanov stated on his Twitter account: "The exchange of views was useful for a better understanding of one aspect of Tehran's negotiating position."
A European diplomat announced on Sunday that talks among the remaining partners in the agreement—Iran, China, Russia, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom—would resume around 2 PM local time (13:00 GMT). The United States will send a delegation led by its special envoy to Iran, Rob Malley, to participate indirectly in the discussions.
Ulyanov had mentioned earlier this week that "informal meetings" between participants were expected before the official talks scheduled to be held at the Palais Coburg hotel in the Austrian capital. He remarked that the resumption of negotiations comes after more than five months of suspension, which he described as "a very long hiatus." Ulyanov tweeted on Saturday: "Talks cannot continue forever. There is a clear need to accelerate the process."
Iranian media reported on Saturday that chief negotiator Ali Bagheri had arrived in Vienna following a Gulf tour. The 2015 agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was designed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon by imposing strict limitations on its program in exchange for some sanctions relief. However, it collapsed in 2018 when then U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from it. One year later, Iran began to roll back its commitments outlined in the text. The new U.S. President Joe Biden has expressed a desire for his country to return to the agreement, but little progress has been made since he took office.
